John William Johnny Hale, a male ranch owner and suspected cattle rustler, died on April 14, 1881, in El Paso, Texas. He was involved in a notorious incident known as the "Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight," which resulted in his death along with three others. The gunfight occurred on El Paso Street and lasted only a few seconds.
The incident began when a group of about 75 heavily armed Mexicans entered El Paso searching for two missing vaqueros, Sanchez and Juarique, who had been looking for stolen cattle. The bodies of the two missing men were found near Hale's ranch, and a court in El Paso held an inquest into their deaths. The court determined that American cattle rustlers, including Hale, had feared the men would discover the stolen cattle and return with a larger, armed Mexican force.
Two American cattle rustlers, Pervey and Fredericks, were accused of the murders of Sanchez and Juarique and were formally charged and arrested. The situation escalated, leading to the gunfight in which Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire, who had only recently started as town marshal, was involved. Stoudenmire accounted for three of the four fatalities with his twin .44 caliber Smith & Wesson revolvers.
The gunfight resulted in the deaths of John Hale and three others, including the two accused rustlers. The incident was brief, lasting no more than five seconds, and left a lasting impact on the history of El Paso.
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